The present invention relates to a method for the separation of oil shale from ROM oil shale. More particularly, it relates to a method for separating oil shale from slate, shale, limestone, fireclay, and boney shale present in ROM oil shale.
As presently mined, ROM oil shale contains many impurities such as slate, shale, limestone, fireclay, and boney shale in varying concentrations. These and various other impurities in the ROM oil shale are hereinafter referred to as refuse. There are no economically practical techniques for separating oil shale from refuse, or separating higher grade oil shale from lower grade oil shale.